So sickened to discover the crack today on my 2004 Explorer, after reading this site it sounds like there have been many. I feel that Ford knows of this problem and it should be repaired, that is a very sorry part to put on what was a nice looking car. Mine is always garage kept and only has 8600 miles on it. It was my pride and joy and still looked brand new, now I have an ugly crack on the back and understand that it will continue to crack more.

We can only hope that Ford will be made to do what is right. All of our cars are Ford, but that will not be the brand of choice in the future.

Bought the car in October 2010 used with 94,000 miles and 1 year later the rear panel cracks out of the blue. I drive all highway miles to work daily, but my once "like new" car now appears marred and it seems Ford is doing very little to help with the issue. I mentioned I drive highway miles and since the rear panel cracked, I have began to notice almost every Ford Explorer I see on the highway, also has cracked rear panels as well. This is complete BS that Ford is not stepping up to the plate and replacing this obviously defective part.

I went shopping and when I left my car there was no crack, when I came back to my car about an hour later, the back part of the lift gate was cracked from the top down to the FORD emblem, around the edge of it and then to the bottom of the panel.

When I got home, my husband called Ford asking about it and was told that they were aware of the problem and they had replaced them free for a couple of years but then discontinued because of the cost to repair them. He then told him it would cost between $300 - $500 to replace it. The last time he asked about it they told him they would replace it for $300 including painting it. Forget it! too expensive and not worth it. As long as it doesn't rain inside the car, I won't worry about it.

As I can see how many people have filed this complaint about the back cracked panel by the Ford Emblem - I also have the cracked window hinge and waiting for the back window to fall off!

Two other people at my company have the same '04 Ford Exp and have the same issue - we all showed up at our local Ford dealer when we ALL purchased and got the same thing - we will replace - but we have to pay!

Been a Ford driver my whole life and will rethink my next purchase unless Ford steps up on this! Was proud of them for not taking the bail out..but now this - UNACCEPTABLE!

One day when I was putting groceries into the back I noticed this big crack below the back window. I first thought someone hit it with something then I noticed a line that was apparently there from the factory that had opened up. I began noticing other cars with the same problems. I started taking pictures of them but then hesitated thinking it might make others suspicious of me taking pictures of their cars and the tags associated with them to show this was not on one car but on a multiplicity of them. Now my friends have even started noticing other cars with this problem and tell me they have seen lots. This needs to be recalled by the factory. We have owned Ford Motor products all our lives and have 3 in our possession now. We have bragged on Ford to everyone and made the statement "we would never have anything but a Ford". That's not the case now. There is a multiplicity of major problems with this explorer who is owned by 2 older people and who has never been used by children which sometimes explains abuse to autos. The interior is falling apart in about 6 different and major ways and areas. I am furious!

I paid 34K for this Explorer. This is not my problem to fix. My problem was to pay for the car, not pay for defects in the car. It looks like other years have had the same problem. My insurance company has turned me down for repairs, due to a defect in materials. Now I am expected to to pay for something that was not caused by me. This is truly unfair. I have bought Fords for years. I had 2 Ford trucks that had defects in the engine and have pay for 2 engine replacements for both of our 1997 pick ups, but if I have to pay for this defect, than I will no longer be a Ford customers. If I have to pay for this fix, this is the last Ford defect I will pay for, it is completely unfair.

I bought my with the crack-figured someone had done something to it beforehand. After reading up on it....apparently this is an ongoing issue. It's only a minor issue, but for so many of them to be doing it-it must be a design flaw. If I had bought it new-I would be mad as a hatter.

It's so, so, so wrong of car companies to know of an issue and not fix it. It happens over and over with cars. You get a car. Something goes wrong. You look for information on it. Find out millions of others have the same problem. Then you find out the manufacture isn't acknowledging the problem or doing anything to fix it.

RIDICULOUS